BOB FARRELL’S “COLLECTION” PROJECT: AN ECLETIC BAG OF CREATIVE GENUIS; FARRELL & FARRELL FOUNDER RE-VISITS ICONIC PAST-PIONEERS MUSICAL TRAILS ON NEW PROJECT--OUT THIS WEEK
(Nashville, Tennessee) – June 11, 2009 –As the creative engine behind Farrell and Farrell, Bob Farrell and his musical collaborator and wife, Jayne, were a major force in putting the “contemporary” in Christian music throughout the 70’s and 80’s. From the launch pad of self-written songs that scored instant connectivity with listeners, groundbreaking synth sounds, a cross genre of gifted guest musician/friends who often joined them in the studio, and mainstream grade production, the duo carved a path of chart success that included memorable career offerings such as Earthmaker, People In A Box,Get Right Or Get Left, and Boundless Love.
Eight major albums and nearly 20 years after they called a halt to touring, Bob Farrell, himself now a five time Dove Award winner, is back with his first solo project—due in great part to Jayne’s inspiration and encouragement to continue the self-portrait of his life’s work in music. The result is a refreshingly avantgard, artistic re-visit from a man who has had a decidedly broad impact on the development of contemporary Christian music as we know it today. Titled, Collection, it’s out this week.
The music encompasses a fascinating organic 15 track eclectic bag of songs that, as Farrell describes it, “are covers of artist’s cuts, brand new songs, songs that I loved that had never been recorded, and several revisits to songs from the F&F era that I feel are still quite timely.”
One thing is certain about Collection. Great songs are timeless in the hands of the creator.
Noted Bob to an online reviewer: “This project is not the audio version of my ‘great American novel, long pent up or a ‘greatest hits.’ . It’s a project born several years ago out of a single ‘why not’ – why not create a mixed bag collection of new tunes, re-visits on old demos, my unplugged versions of songs I wrote that were recorded by other artists—why not get in the studio, have some fun, and work on 15 songs I love. Overall, it’s a mixture of Christian and pop love songs.”
Included on Collection are solo Bob Farrrell writes, as well as co-writes with the likes of gifted musical friends that include Eddie DeGarmo, Regie Hamm, Dan Muckala, Craig Wiseman, Dennis Matkoskey, Tanya Leah, Mike Demus,and Six Fyne.
BOB & JAYNE FARRELL--FARRELL & FARRELL
INFLUENCED A GENERATION OF CHRISTIAN MUSIC.
The project opens with a 2009 musical re-visit to Earthmaker—the first song ever recorded for the first Farrell & Farrell album in 1977. It became their first single to Christian radio and ultimately their first #1 song.
Tracks include:
Earthmaker
Anything Anymore
Eternity In Their Hearts
Amor de Mi Vida
My Old Friend (Bill's Song)
Be There
My Love For Thee
Inside Your Love
It’s Only Supernatural
Believin’
Simplicity
I Will Be
While Heaven Cries
American Man
Time To Say Goodnight
To facilitate the release of Collection, a newly updated and re-vamped Farrell & Farrell website has recently launched at http://www.farrellandfarrel.com/ . In addition to previewing the music, a full commentary by Bob on each song is posted along with a photo gallery and online retail resources for Farrell & Farrell music.
In his absence from concerts and regular recording, Farrell has been anything but resting on his creative laurels. A 1992 Dove Award for Inspirational Song of the Year For All The World (co-written with Greg Nelson) recorded by Sandi Patti, brought him center stage. In the mid 90’s, he co-produced and co-created the musical Savior which earned a Dove Award in 1996 for Best Musical. Bob netted another Dove in 1998 for the CD release, Our Savior, Emmanuel, co-produced with Greg Nelson. On the songwriting side, Bob has had cuts by a diverse range of artists that include Eric Clapton, Anne Murray, Wynonna, Michael W. Smith, Cliff Richards, Amy Grant, Rebecca St. James, Jaci Velasquez, and DeGarmo & Key, to mention only a few.
In 2006, Farrell was approached by a Madison Avenue ad agency to use one of his songs—I Will Be—(co-written with Tanya Leah) as the centerpiece of what was to become a high visibility 18 month television product campaign. The song—which began life as a potential pitch to Sandi Patti, has ended up being cut by artists as diverse as Wynonna, Lila McCann, and Michael English has a recent reincarnation on “American Idol” winner Melinda Doolittle’s latest album release.
It was the creative collaboration with longtime friend Eddie DeGarmo on the creation of the critically acclaimed rock opera musical, !Hero, which launched a national tour of multiple sold-out performances in 2003 that Farrell credits as re-lighting his desire to perform. Based on the premise of Jesus arriving in modern times in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to be crucified in the streets of a futuristic New York City, !Hero headlined contemporary Christian artists such as Michael Tait, Rebecca St. James, and Mark Stuart of hit band Audio Adrenaline in starring roles. Bob hit the stage on the tour as show director as well as performing nightly onstage in the modern adaption role of Governor Pilate. The resulting DVD of the project scored a Best Event Album of the year in 2004 and a 2005 Dove Award for Best Long Form Video.
“!Hero is what really got me in the ‘live swing’ again,” notes Farrell. “I have a tremendous passion for reaching this generation with a presentation of the gospel—and what better way to do it than creating a vehicle in the form of a rock opera musical for the MTV crowd. Going live with it on tour, the audience got back in my blood. Through working on the creative side of the project, I re-connected with the realization that being an artist is what got me to this party in the first place.”
Amidst a busy year of musical projects, !Hero remains a centerpiece of Farrell’s current focus as ’09 has found renewed talks of re-staging and touring the production for a new audience of concert goers.
Ahead too is finding time for a fun series of “unplugged” videos to promote the online marketing of Collection. More recording and the possibility of concert dates to come this year assures that Bob Farrell and Collection will be busy reaching a new generation of music listeners and audiences.
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